Home energy audit

The older home was drafty, says Wiens, and the energy bills
were high. But because her Energy Advisor was independent of any
contractor or renovation company, she knew she would get an
unbiased opinion about the renovations that needed
to be done.

During the
energy audit, Wiens says, she learned
a lot about energy efficiency, and a lot about the house she
and her family had lived in for 25 years.
“[The Energy Advisor] explained a lot,” she says.
“We liked having a professional who could educate us about
our home without trying to make a profit on work
needing to be done.”

EnerGuide rating

As part of the home energy audit, the Vancouver
Energy Advisor prepared a detailed report about the
home’s current energy efficiency.

Based on a variety of factors, including heating and
cooling equipment, the type of windows in place, and the
amount of insulation in the home, the energy audit created
an EnerGuide rating, which compares the home to others
of its age in the same area. Wiens’ home scored 44 out
of a possible 100 on the EnerGuide scale, demonstrating
lots of room for improvement.

Air source heat pump

The home energy report also makes recommendations for
changes to improve the home’s efficiency. For example, Wiens
learned that 79 percent of her home’s energy use powered
the natural gas furnace.

Her Energy Advisor recommended she replace the home’s
natural gas furnace with an air source heat pump. Instead of
burning natural gas, an air source heat pump uses just a trickle
of electricity.

[The Energy Advisor] explained a lot. We liked
having a professional who could educate us about
our home without trying to make a profit on work
needing to be done.

It gathers heat energy from the outdoor air, and uses that energy
to warm the air it sends through the home’s existing ductwork.
It creates no carbon emissions and uses far less energy than a
traditional gas furnace.

Now, Wiens says her home is more comfortable.
“The heating system was old-fashioned, so it’s
much better now; no cold pockets in the house,” she says. Plus, she
hasn’t had to set the thermostat as high, which means
she’s using less energy overall.

Insulation and air sealing

To keep the warmed air indoors where it belongs, Wiens
had additional insulation blown into her home’s main walls,
and had a contractor do air sealing — filling in small
cracks and gaps in the home’s structure, and caulking and
weatherstripping windows and doors. These improvements made
an instant difference, as they reduced drafts and helped the
air source heat pump operate more effectively.

Instantaneous hot water

Because a hot water tank can waste energy by keeping
large amounts of water warm whether it’s needed or not,
Wiens also chose to replace her gas-fired
hot water tank with a new instantaneous hot water heater.
Like the old hot water heater, this tankless type of water
heater is fired by natural gas, but it uses less energy.

It only heats water on demand, providing a steady stream
of hot water as soon as a tap is turned. And to save even
more water, Wiens installed four low-flush toilets,
which can reduce a household’s water use by as
much as half.

The comfort of the home and being energy wise.
It’s great for everybody not to waste. We’re now
expected to be energy efficient.

Wiens says she was glad for her Energy Advisor’s
recommendations, because they helped her feel knowledgeable
when she explained to her contractor what she wanted done.
And the best part of having done these renovations, says
Wiens, is “the comfort of the home and being energy
wise. It’s great for everybody not to waste. We’re now
expected to be energy efficient.”

Take advantage of government rebates + grants up to $7,000 and more
for home energy renovation in Vancouver BC:

LiveSmart BC rebates —
Vancouver homeowners can get up to $7,000
and more in home energy grants through the BC government’s
LiveSmart BC rebate program, which is in effect
until March 31, 2013.
Click here for more

Home Energy Audits —
To qualify for Government of BC’s LiveSmart rebates,
Vancouver homeowners must get a home energy audit
before and after
their home improvement work.
The BC government’s LiveSmart BC program also
subsidizes the cost of your first home energy audit.
Click here for more

Other BC rebates —
Vancouver homeowners may qualify for a $3,000 rebate from
from the City of Vancouver's Solar Homes Pilot when installing
solar
hot water systems. There are additional
rebates for low-flow
toilets, and even
more grants, rebates and incentives from local BC
governments and energy utilities.

Home Renovation Tax Credit —
Many homeowners in Vancouver use “tax credit”
to describe a grant program like LiveSmart BC rebates.
The original Home Renovation Tax Credit
(HRTC) expired in 2010.
With today’s 2011 “tax credit” programs
there’s no need to wait until you’ve filed
your annual income tax return to receive a home renovation tax credit.
Your tax-free grant money will be sent within 90 days of
your follow-up energy audit.
Click here for more

Enjoy all the benefits

Do it right

Each Vancouver home has its own specific
energy-savings needs,
and yours is no different. The right renovations
add up to big savings. By following the expert
advice of a certified BC energy advisor,
you’ll make the energy
renovations or "retrofits" that are right for
your Vancouver home — and help improve your energy
costs and the Vancouver BC environment.

And there’s even more. Click here to learn how
Vancouver
homeowners like you are saving thousands of
dollars and tonnes of greenhouse gases every year,
by making the right energy-saving home renovations.
Vancouver BC homeowners can make a difference.

*BC homeowners can qualify for more than $7,000
in tax-free
renovation rebates from the Government of BC.*This website displays government grant and renovation “tax credit”
information for your convenience only.*We accept no liability whatsoever
for any incomplete or inaccurate grant information displayed in these webpages.*For complete information on government grants
and home energy audit rebates go to
ecoaction.gc.ca,
livesmartbc.ca,
actionplan.gc.ca/homes.*Grant amounts may be revised at the discretion of
the Governments of
Canada and British Columbia.
**ecoENERGY Initiatives help Canadians
use energy more efficiently,
boost renewable energy supplies and develop cleaner-energy technologies.
**ecoENERGY Retrofit Homes residential energy efficiency assessment program
was developed by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).
**ecoENERGY and Energuide for Houses are official
trademarks of the Government of Canada.
Used under licence.